Japanese Lovers

Japan will be out to make the most of its home ice advantage when the International Skating Union’s World Team Trophy gets underway Thursday.

The top six national figure skating teams—Japan, Canada, the United States, Russia, Italy and France—are competing in the April 19-22 event at Yoyogi Arena.

Each team consists of two women, two men, one pair and one ice dancing couple. Each skater/couple will compete with a short program/short dance and free skating/free dance and the highest point total will win.

Japan, which tops the team standings with 7891 points, will field a strong team that includes 2012 world silver medalist Daisuke Takahashi, world bronze medalist Akiko Suzuki and 2011 world silver medalist Takahiko Kozuka.

Narumi Takahashi and Mervin Tran, who won the bronze medal at last month’s world championships in Nice, France, will represent the host nation in pairs while ice dancers Cathy and Chris Reed round out Japan’s team.

The United States, which won the inaugural team trophy in 2009, will be led by ice dancing world silver medalists Meryl Davis and Charlie White.

Ashley Wagner and Gracie Gold will compete in the women’s short and free events while Jeremy Abbott and Adam Rippon make up the men’s team. Caydee Denney and John Coughlin will compete in pairs for the U.S.

Canada will also be among the title contenders with a team that includes two-time and reigning world champions Patrick Chan and ice dancers Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir.

Chan will be joined by Kevin Reynolds in the men’s event while Canadian champion Amelie Lacoste and Cynthia Phaneuf are the entries in the women’s event.

Russia’s team will feature world silver medalist Alena Leonova who will team up with world junior champion Adelina Sotnikova. European ice dance bronze medalists Elena Ilinykh and Nikita Katsalapov and European pairs silver medalists Vera Bazarova and Yuri Larionov round out Russia’s team.

Newly-crowned world champion Carolina Kostner headlines Italy’s team. The Italians will also be represented by Valentina Marchei, Samuel Contesti and Paolo Bacchini in men’s, ice dancers Anna Cappellini and Luca Lanotte as well as pair skaters Stefina Berton and Ondrej Hotarek.

Veteran Brian Joubert and European bronze medalist Florent Amodio will represent France in the men’s event. Ice dancing world bronze medalists Nathalie Pechalat and Fabian Bourzat and pairs skaters Daria Popova and Bruno Massot will also be skating for France as well as Yretha Silete and Mae-Bernice Meite.

The event was scheduled for April, 2011 in Japan but was postponed following the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.

source japantoday